


what you call sliding carefully is seriously slipping out of control

by neonbrother



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, M/M, Quarantine, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:48:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23401750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neonbrother/pseuds/neonbrother
Summary: Kylo Ren is the very last person Hux wanted to be confined to his quarters with, but he doesn't seem to have much choice.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 11
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> well. this was meant to be just a quick prompt fill for [kyluxhardkinks](https://kyluxhardkinks.tumblr.com/post/612951439807037440/a-virus-goes-round-that-makes-people-desperate-to) on tumblr and now here we are. i'm hoping to update once a week but we'll see what happens. tags will likely be updated as i go. enjoy.
> 
> (title is from tattooed tears by the front bottoms)

_Finally_ , Hux thought, sinking into the chair behind his desk. His datapad was blinking with messages, and he had a long evening of paperwork ahead of him. The day itself had felt long enough, but paperwork was a pleasant way to put all that behind him and unwind, Hux reflected. He took a sip from the whiskey he’d poured himself and pulled up the daily reports. He was just beginning to read when there was a pounding at his door. It was rare for anyone to disturb him in his quarters, particularly once the evening cycle was underway. He was contemplating simply telling whoever it was to convey their message over the comm links, but there was another harsh knock - this one sounding even more urgent. With a sigh, Hux stood and reluctantly keyed in his code.

The door slid open to reveal Kylo Ren.

‘We need to talk,’ Ren demanded, barging past Hux and turning to face him, with his robe fluttering dramatically behind him.

‘What?’ Hux asked, stunned.

‘We need to talk,’ Ren repeated slowly. ‘I don’t think sending more troopers to-’

‘Absolutely not,’ interrupted Hux. Ren had been infuriatingly difficult lately, and this crossed a line. ‘You don’t get to storm into my quarters at whatever time you please to argue about _my_ troopers with me. If you have a problem with my leadership, I suggest you go and meditate or whatever it is that you do when you should be attending meetings until you realise that I’m right.’

‘ _General_ ,’ Ren hissed. ‘We are co-commanders. They’re as much my troopers as they are yours.’

Hux barked out a laugh. ‘If that’s the case, I’ll let you oversee all their training. I’m sure you can handle devising a regimented schedule which ensures we have the strongest military force in the galaxy? I’ll just hand you my datapad and _you_ can go through this month’s reports to ensure there are no problems.’ 

Ren snarled, his leather gloves creaking as he clenched his fists. He took a step towards Hux, who held his ground and glared directly into the slit where he could only assume Ren’s eyes lay beneath his mask. He raised an eyebrow, daring the knight to make the next move. ‘Well?’

Without warning, he was shoved backwards and pinned up against the wall. Instinctively, Hux’s hand closed around Ren’s wrist where he had grabbed the front of his uniform. There was a heavy silence permeated only by the modulated sounds of Ren’s laboured breathing.

Until Hux’s comm crackled to life.

‘General?’ came the unmistakable voice of Captain Phasma.

‘Yes?’ Hux responded evenly, making no move to free himself from Ren.

‘There’s been… an issue. I’m sure you’ve noticed the illness that’s been going around the Finalizer lately. I just received word from Medical and it’s a new strain of virus. Three troopers and one crew member have already died in the past twenty-four hours. Since this appears to be fatal and rapidly spreading, Medical have instructed a full lockdown and quarantine until they can develop a cure.’

Hux sighed deeply. ‘A lockdown. Right then. I have… something to deal with first but then I suppose I’ll be confined to my quarters.’

There was a long pause. ‘Sir, I’m afraid that won’t be possible. All doors have been sealed until the situation is under control.’ 

‘Fuck,’ Hux muttered. ‘Right. Thank you for informing me, Captain. I expect regular updates. Good evening.’

‘General,’ Phasma said in parting. ‘Good luck with your… thing.’ Even through the comms, Hux could hear the smirk in her voice and silently cursed her.

Surprisingly, Ren had remained silent through their interaction, although his body remained rigidly pressed against Hux’s own, keeping him pinned in place.

Hux released his grip on Ren’s wrist. ‘Well. A drink?’

Ren’s hand fell from the front of his uniform and he hastily stepped back. ‘What?’

‘A drink. Would you like one?’ Hux asked, smoothing down his front as he pushed away from the wall and strode back towards his desk. ‘It seems we’ll be trapped in here for a while. I’d rather get through this with a drink in my hand.’

‘Can’t you just override the lockdown? Unlock your door and let me go back to my own quarters?’

Hux gave an indignant huff. ‘Did you not read the safety protocols when you arrived? In the event of a biohazardous threat, Medical is authorised to enforce lockdown as they see fit. I have no control over this. Now, do you want a drink?’ he repeated, lifting his own glass and drinking deeply.

After a moment’s pause, Ren responded. ‘I don’t drink.’

‘Of course you don’t,’ Hux muttered. ‘More for me, I suppose.’

He poured himself another measure of whiskey and sat back behind his desk. ‘I have work to do. You’re welcome to hover in the middle of the room like that, but I do have perfectly good furniture,’ Hux said dismissively, gesturing towards where Ren had halted as if fixed to the floor beneath him. 

Ren walked stiffly over to the sofa adjacent to Hux’s desk and sat. Hux heard the mechanical hiss of him releasing the claps of his mask and removing it. He’d seen Ren’s face before, but it always caught him off-guard just how young he looked. Although there was only five years between them, there was an expressiveness to Ren’s face that made him appear younger. No wonder he hid behind that mask, Hux thought derisively. He was far too easy to read without it.

Tearing his eyes away from Ren, Hux returned to his datapad. A ship-wide quarantine might relieve him of some of his duties, but he was now to occupy a far more administrative role if everything was going to continue to run smoothly. Having Ren stuck in his quarters with him was certainly going to make life a lot more difficult, but Hux was well-practised at taking whatever was thrown at him and making the best of it. 

Not that Ren wasn’t going to make this as difficult as it could possibly be. 

After only an hour of work, Hux’s concentration was broken by an incessant tapping sound. He looked up with irritation and immediately located its source. Ren was slumped miserably on the sofa, drumming his fingers against his ridiculous helmet. 

‘Could you perhaps not do that?’ Hux snapped irritably.

‘Do what?’ Ren asked innocently, adjusting the helmet in his lap.

‘The tapping. I can’t work with you making that noise.’

Ren huffed, but his hands stilled nonetheless, and Hux went back to his work.

He had only added two more lines to his report when he heard it again.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

‘Ren! If you can’t be fucking quiet, I’ll send you out the nearest airlock, quarantine be damned,’ Hux exploded, glaring at the other man.

‘I’m bored! What do you expect me to do?’ Ren demanded angrily.

Hux buried his head in his hands. Of course Ren was _bored_. ‘You’re a child,’ he groaned despairingly. 

‘No, I just don’t have a stick up my ass. I have better things to do at night than work in silence.’

Hux flushed at the insult and was prepared to retort in kind when he was interrupted by a loud mewling and an orange blur shooting out of his bedroom to leap into his lap. 

‘What the hell is that?’ Ren asked flatly, fixing Hux with a distrustful stare.

Hux ignored him in favour of nuzzling at the ginger fur of the large tabby, who was now purring contentedly in his arms. ‘Hello, Millie,’ he cooed softly, lavishing her with affection which was rarely bestowed upon anyone else.

‘Hux,’ Ren repeated sharply, looking distinctly uncomfortable with the display before him. ‘What _is_ that?’

‘ _She_ is my cat. Millicent,’ Hux added. Even when cuddling his cat close to his chest, he still managed to glare threateningly at Ren.

Ren continued to look entirely befuddled and an uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Eventually, Hux gave a deep sigh. ‘I suppose this work can wait until tomorrow. A game of holochess, perhaps? I assume you do know how to play.’

‘Of course,’ Ren huffed. ‘I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s your preferred game. Predictable as ever, General.’

Hux deemed not to respond to that dig. Ren could make fun all he wanted, but being a master tactician made for an almost unparalleled skill level. Hux hadn’t been beaten since his early days in the academy and he looked forward to lording his victory over Ren. 

Setting his datapad aside and coaxing Millicent off his lap, Hux rose to sit opposite Ren, activating the holocron that sat between them. He decided to claim white for himself, making the first move and thinking privately that it was far more fitting for Ren to take black anyway, what with his consistently drab appearance.

The first few moves were conducted in silence, broken only by the clink of Hux’s glass after a drink. He played with a relaxed confidence, secure in his abilities to win. After all, someone as wild and impulsive as Ren was bound to lack prowess at a game based on patience and forethought. Hux drank more as the game progressed, allowing his rigid posture to slip and going so far as to unbutton the collar of his uniform.

At the sound of the button popping, Ren glanced up. He flushed slightly and immediately tried to cover it up with a hasty move of one of his pawns. Hux smirked, amused at how easily distracted Ren could be. He removed that pawn from play with his bishop and eagerly prepared to see how Ren would respond to that. 

He certainly wasn’t expecting Ren to decisively move his knight and declare checkmate.

‘What?’

‘Checkmate,’ Ren repeated smugly. He gestured to the board. ‘Look, I’ve got your king surrounded.’

‘Yes, I see that,’ Hux snapped. ‘But how did you win? I haven’t lost since I was a child.’

Ren was grinning now. ‘You’re not the only one with tactical knowledge, General. You should know better than to simply presume your superiority.’

Hux was furious. He’d always been viciously competitive, and losing to Kylo Ren was simply not an option. He knew it was childish, but he got to his feet and stormed off towards his bedroom. As his door slid shut behind him, he was sure he heard a deep laugh from the living area. 

Sullenly, he stripped down to his undershirt and boxers and crawled into his bed. Millicent purred sleepily from her spot on the pillow beside him, and he gave her a gentle scratch behind the ear before dimming his lights. Being quarantined with Kylo Ren of all people was probably going to drive him insane, but that was a problem which could be dealt with tomorrow, Hux decided. He eventually drifted off to sleep, thinking of holochess games and that infuriating laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love how i said i would update once a week and now 7 months later here i am with chapter 2. i apologise for being wildly unreliable but what else are we expecting from 2020? i promise i have a plan and have already made a solid start on the third chapter so hopefully there won't be such a gap between updates. if anyone is still sticking with this after my absence then i love you.  
> feedback welcome as always. enjoy.

As Hux gradually woke, he became aware of two things. First, he felt more well-rested than he has in years. Second, he wasn’t alone. A warm, solid body was pressed against his own and a strong arm was loosely wrapped around his waist, fingers resting on his bare skin where his undershirt had ridden up during the night.

Survival instincts kicking in, Hux reached under his pillow to grasp the knife he’d slept with since his academy days. He then flipped over, straddling the intruder and pressing the blade to their neck. Millicent yowled at the disturbance and leapt down from where she had been curled at the bottom of the bed.

Ren blinked sleepily up at him. ‘What are you doing?’ 

It took every inch of Hux’s restraint to not simply slash his throat and be done with it. ‘What are _you_ doing?’ he demanded through gritted teeth. ‘This is my bed, and I don’t recall inviting you, of all people, into it.’

‘You didn’t give me a place to sleep,’ Ren answered, as if it was obvious. ‘What else was I meant to do?’

‘I don’t know! Anything other than sneak your way into my bed!’ Hux was furious, still clutching the knife with a white-knuckled grip and jabbing it towards Ren’s bare chest as he yelled. He could barely remember the last time he had welcomed someone into his bed, and he’d certainly never allowed anyone to stay with him through the night. Anything other than a perfunctory fuck was something he simply didn’t have time for. Hux did not do intimacy and he most certainly did _not_ do being spooned by the most obnoxious man in the galaxy.

Ren shifted beneath him and Hux very suddenly became aware of the fact that his thighs were clenched around Ren’s waist and the other man was clothed only in boxers. Blushing furiously, he dropped the knife onto the sheets and rolled off Ren as gracefully as possible. ‘I’m using the refresher. I want you out of this room by the time I’m done,’ Hux ordered sharply, refusing to look at Ren.

One of his privileges as a general was his own personal shower and Hux had never felt more grateful for it as he stripped and stepped under the stream of hot water. There was an uncomfortable twist in his gut as he thought of Kylo Ren in his bed, and he scrubbed his body clean in an attempt to wash away the feeling of Ren’s bare skin against his own. He closed his eyes against the spray but was met only by the memory of the way Ren had looked beneath him, still pliant with sleep, his hair spread across the pillow like an inky black halo. 

To his horror, he felt his cock begin to stir between his legs. There was no denying that Kylo Ren was attractive in his own unique way and relaxation certainly suited him, but Hux was _not_ actually attracted to him. It simply wasn’t an option. If his body chose to betray him by reacting to the close proximity of another man for the first time in far too long, he was not responsible for that. Willing his erection away, Hux determinedly set the shower temperature as low as possible.

He exited the shower in an even worse mood than before, but now with a dissatisfied, persistent level of arousal simmering within him. Thankfully, Ren had followed orders for once and vacated the bedroom, so Hux was free to dry himself and dress. Despite knowing Ren was the only person he’d be seeing, he dressed neatly in his uniform to still feel some semblance of control and normalcy. Millicent watched him accusingly. Hux sighed. ‘I know, Millie. I’m not happy either.’

Steeling himself for what was bound to be a frustrating day, he ventured outside of his room, Millicent trailing after him. 

Ren was now blissfully dressed again, sat hunched in the same position as the night before. When Hux approached, a steaming mug of caf floated directly into his hands, and Ren glanced up with an unspoken apology in his eyes. Hux thanked him stiffly and went to his small kitchenette.

As much as he hated to admit it, Ren had somehow managed to prepare his caf perfectly. He retrieved a nutrition bar for himself and then reluctantly realised he would have to feed Ren as well. Despite having his own kitchenette and personal rations, Hux preferred to take his meals in the cafeteria to foster a sense of solidarity amongst his crew. Ren, on the other hand, refused to partake in communal meals. Hux suspected it had something to do with his reluctance to remove his mask in public, but it was frustrating nonetheless. It was widely speculated by some of the higher ranking crew whether or not he even ate real food. That mystery would finally be solved, Hux thought wryly as he gathered up several more nutrition bars.

He dumped the selection of bars on the table and sat down. Ren simply stared, his brow furrowed.

Hux sighed again. ‘It’s breakfast, Ren. I’m not planning to starve you, as tempting as that might be.’

‘You don’t always have to call me that, you know.’

‘What?’

‘Ren. It’s too formal. My name is Kylo.’

Hux shook his head, exasperated. ‘Alright, Kylo,’ he conceded, stretching the syllables out, testing how they felt rolling off his tongue. He shivered slightly.

They ate in uncomfortable silence till Hux drained his caf and stood. ‘I have work to do. Please do try to amuse yourself without disturbing me.’

Kylo nodded, apparently still cowed into obedience after their morning scuffle. If being yelled at with a knife to his throat was what it took to get him to behave, perhaps Hux would try that method more often.

Hux disposed of their wrappers, laid out some food for Millicent and then took his position at his desk. When he spared a glance at Kylo, the other man was sat perfectly still, eyes closed. He seemed to be sleeping until Hux noticed his helmet floating slightly above the sofa. He knew that meditation was a part of Ren’s training, but such a controlled and peaceful exercise had always seemed incongruous with the knight’s temper. Now though, the calmness simply reminded Hux of how Kylo had looked beneath him, hair mussed and face lax.

Hux scowled. How Kylo Ren looked in bed was no concern of his, and these ridiculous thoughts weren’t going to help him keep a quarantined ship under control. With more force than necessary, he picked up his datapad and got to work.


End file.
